The 2010 Isle of Man TT is upon us! The first week is practice week then it’s into the races from June 5th. The IOM TT has continued to grow in popularity with fans from around the globe and within the motorcycle racing community. Last year we saw Valentino Rossi visit the Isle of Man and pay tribute to the riders past and present with a ride around the famous circuit accompanied by Giacomo Agostini. This year we see another MotoGP star, Jorge Lorenzo ride around the circuit with Spanish legend, Angel Nieto.

The MotoGP connection doesn’t stop there however as Aussie IOM TT superstar Cameron Donald will take Loris Capirossi’s Rizla Suzuki MotoGP bike around the circuit for blast, bringing back the premier class if only for a demonstration lap. Loris will in turn take a GSX-R1000 out for a spin and a wave to the crowd to help celebrate Suzuki’s 50 years of international racing.

Grand Prix bikes will however be represented in racing form thanks to Team FTR who will be runnign a Moto2 GP bike in the Senior TT. Ollie Linsdell will be piloting the bike with aim of matching or bettering the 600cc Supersport lap times.

Ever the innovators, the Isle of Man TT organisers have once again brought back the TT Zero race with participants like first time entrants Ecolve, a London based company that manufactures electric scooters, 666 Road Racing Limited, a leading UK carbon component suppliers, Swedish Electric Racing Team (SERT) who are busily converting Ant West’s CBR600RR from the now defunct Stiggy Racing Team into an electric storm.

Showing the newbies the way will be Team Agni, the winners of the inaugural clean emissions race on the Isle of Man in 2009, the highly successful Team ManTTx Racing as well as motorcycle innovators MotoCzysz from the USA who will be hoping improve on their 2009 bike and break the 100mph average to claim the £10,000 prize put forward by the Isle of Man Government.

For us Aussies, we get to see not only Cameron Donald blast through the mountain course but newcomer David Johnson of Adelaide. David has been competing in the British Superbike Championship this year and will look to following the footsteps of Cam.

David says of his debut:

“I’ve always been aware of the TT Races and it has been an ambition of mine to compete at the biggest road race in the world. I’d hoped to make my debut in 2009 but my BSB commitments ruled me out so it’s great to be able to take part at last.

2010 IOM TT newbies

I know people like Guy Martin, Conor Cummins and of course Cameron (Donald) really well and will be hoping to pick up as many tips from them as possible. I am also working hard at learning the circuit at the moment. The TT is a huge challenge but I’m really looking forward to it and am confident of giving a good account of myself.”

Two marques to watch at the Isle of Man TT this year will undoubtedly be KTM and BMW. KTM are making their debut at the mountain thanks to Redline Motorcycles and will contest the Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT Races. James Edmeades, a competitor at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 events will be doing his utmost to put the KTM at the pointy end of the field.

BMW who have set the world alight with their stunning S1000RR are hoping to continue the surprises at the Isle of Man TT with German ace Rico Penzkofer in charge of a full Superbike-spec machine. It will be the first time since the late 70s that an official BMW team has contested the TT, when Helmut Dahne and Hans Otto Butenuth tore up the course.

Event Schedule

Saturday May 29
1820-1830hrs – Solo Newcomers’ controlled lap
1830-1955hrs – Solo untimed practice
2000-2015hrs – Sidecar Newcomers’ controlled lap
2015-2050hrs – Sidecar untimed practice

Monday May 31st
1820-1955hrs – Solo practice
2000-2050hrs – Sidecar practice

Tuesday June 1
1820-1955hrs – Solo practice
2000-2050hrs – Sidecar practice

Wednesday June 2
1820-1955hrs – Solo practice
2000-2050hrs – Sidecar practice

Thursday June 3
1820-1955hrs – Solo practice
2000-2050hrs – Sidecar practice

Friday June 4
1820-1955hrs – Solo practice
2000-2050hrs – Sidecar practice

Saturday June 5th
1200hrs – Superbike TT Race 6 laps
1500hrs – Sidecar TT Race 1 3 laps

Monday June 7th
1045hrs – Supersport TT Race 1 4 laps
1415hrs – Superstock TT Race 4 laps

Wednesday June 9th
1045hrs – Supersport TT Race 2 4 laps
1315hrs – Sidecar TT Race 2 3 laps
1630hrs – TT Zero Race 1 lap

Friday June 11th
1230hrs – Senior TT Race 6 laps

Photography © Stephen Davison | Pacemaker Press International

The Isle of Man TT is fast becoming a must attend event for both spectators, manufacturers and team owners alike and in 2010 we will see Austrian manufacturer KTM take part for the very first time with Redline Motorcycles and James Edmeades. The delectable KTM RC8R Superbike will take part in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT Races.

Already doing the business in the Austrian and German Superbike Championships, KTM have been steadily grown as a manufacturer with serious road racing intentions.

The man given the task of riding the bright orange bike will be Loughborough’s James Edmeades. The 26-year old is no stranger to the TT having ridden in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 events. The former Virgin R6 Cup rider narrowly missed out on his first 120mph lap in 2007 and has already picked up two bronze replicas from his nine races whilst he also took a strong fifth in last season’s RC8 Super Cup Championship.

In addition to the TT outing, Edmeades will campaign the bike in this year’s British Superbike Evo Championship and he is eagerly looking forward to his return to the Mountain Course.

“The opportunity to become the first KTM rider at the Isle of Man TT Races is a tremendous honour for me and after the three great years I enjoyed between 2006 and 2008, I can’t wait to get back on the Island. The KTM RC8R is a superb bike and I’m sure it will perform well around the course with its excellent handling qualities.

He continued:

“I was carrying an injury when I was last at the TT and didn’t perform as I would have liked which is something I’m keen to put right this year. I’m sure both myself and the team will give a good account of ourselves and further prove the capabilities of the KTM Superbike machine.”

KTM will join Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki with their official manufacturer supported efforts at this year’s TT whilst discussions with other leading manufacturers not currently represented at the TT are close to being finalised.

Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government commented:

“It will be fantastic to see KTM competing for the first time on the Isle of Man and how appropriate that they will be lining up on the grid with Suzuki who are celebrating their 50th anniversary of racing at the TT. It shows the continued strength and enduring appeal of the TT Races and I hope that KTM will have a long and successful TT history.”

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The lead up to the Isle of Man TT is now more intriguing than ever as British chassis manufacturers FTR have announced they will be entering the TT with a Honda-engined Moto2 GP bike, piloted by Olie Linsdell.

The Moto2 GP bike will be of similar spec to the machines Gabor Talmacsi, Andrea Iannone and Alex Debon will be riding in this years Moto2 Championship. It’s expected the GP bike ridden by Linsdell will be similar to the speeds achieved by the Supersport bikes.

Linsdell, a 22-year old gun from Bedfordshire was a double Manx GP winner in 2007 and despite injury and a bit of bad luck recently, is now 100% fit and raring to go aboard the Moto2 bike.

“The Moto2 GP class is exciting for everyone at the moment and I’m delighted and honoured to get the opportunity to race one at the TT. There’s a big buzz around the class and while the 600cc bike won’t be quick enough to challenge the Superbikes for the win in the Senior TT, there’s no reason at all why it can’t lap in excess of 125mph and get inside the top ten which would be a great achievement.

“Both the team and I obviously have a lot to learn about how the bike will cope with the Mountain Course but the chassis is as good as anything else out there and we’ll be aiming to match, if not better, the 600cc Supersport lap times. The whole project is sure to create a lot of interest during TT fortnight and we’re confident we can do it justice and get a credible result.”

Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government commented:

“The TT has always provided a great test-bed for new and innovative machinery since its inception in 1907 and everyone is really looking forward to seeing how the Moto 2 GP bike performs on the course. This year’s event is sure to be fascinating for spectators with a wide range of manufacturers – both new and established – competing against each other as well as the return of some old favourites.”

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If you want to see the leading edge in clean emissions motorcycling, you’ll need to be at the 2010 Isle of Man TT. Extra motivation for teams comes in the way of a £10,000 prize for first team to record 100mph lap, put up by the Isle of Man Government. If only the NSW government would provide the same for the Putty Road…

The clean emissions race in 2009 has been widely credited with accelerating the development of clean emissions transport and many of the technical innovations that were introduced in the Isle of Man are expected to become an integral part of future mass market transport. The event was conceived with the support and involvement of numerous Departments of the Isle of Man Government as part of the Island’s Freedom to Flourish programme.

The 2010 clean emissions race on the Isle of Man has been renamed ‘TT Zero’ and the race will become part of the core TT programme. It will feature riders who are also competing in the other TT classes. The one lap race will be open to clean emission motorcycles and will take place on Wednesday 9th June at 4.30pm, following the Royal London 360 Superstock and Supersport Races. There will also be qualifying sessions on Saturday 5th and Monday 7th June.

As with the core TT Races programme TT Zero will be run by ACU Events Ltd, using the latest FIM regulations. However TTXGP Ltd, who promoted the 2009 event, will not be involved and the Isle of Man Government’s Department of Tourism and Leisure will become the race promoter for the clean emissions race as well as the core TT Races programme.

As well as the usual prize money available to teams and riders, the Isle of Man Government has also created a £10,000 prize fund for the first TT Zero Race team to record a 100mph lap (160.93kph) around the 37 and 3/4 mile course. This landmark was achieved for the first time by a conventional bike in 1957, when Scotsman Bob McIntyre lapped the TT Course in 22 minutes 24.4 seconds for an overall average of 101.03mph. Rob Barber and Team Agni recorded a fastest lap time of 25 minutes 53.5 seconds (87.434mph) in the 2009 clean emissions race.

Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government, commented: “We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with TTXGP Ltd and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work last year. We look forward to welcoming many of the electric bike teams and riders back to the Isle of Man in 2010 as well as to seeing new challengers pitting their wits against the Mountain Course.”

He continued: “We are delighted that the Isle of Man was the first country to run an electric bike race and the fact that there are now events scheduled around the world is a tribute to the Island’s entrepreneurial, innovative spirit and shows what an achievement it was for the Isle of Man to run the groundbreaking inaugural event. We are now building on this fantastic start by properly integrating the clean emissions class into the race programme – this really does send a clear signal that electric motorsport is fast evolving and that the TT Races remain at the forefront of motorcycle sport.”

Regulations and entry forms for the TT Zero Race will be released on Friday 29th of January and the forms will only be available in electronic format, and can be downloaded from the official Isle of Man TT Web Site, www.iomtt.com. The closing date for entries has been set as Friday, March 26th, 2010. db